Hitching device



(No Model.)

J. MSPRATT..

HITGHING DEVICE.

No. 585,587 Patented Jim@ 29, I1897. f

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JOHN MUSPRATT, OF NEV BEDFORD, MASSACHUSETTS.

HITCHING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 585,587, dated June 29,1897. Application filed December 14,1896. Serial No. 615,628. (Nomodel.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN MUSPRATT, a citi- Zen of the United States,residing at New Bedford, in the county of Bristol and State ofMassachusetts, have invented a new and useful Hit-ching Device, of whichthe following is a specification.

My invention relates to a hitching-post, and has for its object toprovide a device of the class named which is not open to the obj ectionsurged against fixed hitching devices, of which one of the most seriousis the fact that they offer obstructions to pedestrians, particularly atnight or at other times, as when thoroughfares are crowded, when it isimpossible to discover at any great distance the existence of a deviceof this class.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will appear in thefollowing description, and the novel features thereof will beparticularly pointed out in the appended claims.

.In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a hitching deviceconstructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a verticalcentral section of the same. Fig. 3 is a similar view showing aslightly-modified construction of counterbalancing device.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all thefigures of the drawings.

The hitching-post embodying my invention comprises a rod l, adapted forthe attachment of a hitching strap or chain, with which it may bepermanently provided, but which is preferably provided with an eye 2, asshown in the drawings, and means for yieldingly holding said rod in anupright position and adapted to prevent displacement of the lower endthereof. In the construction illustrated the rod is provided with arounded and preferably enlarged lower extremity 3, adapted to iit in asuitable seat 4, said seat having a central opening 5, through whichextends a iiexible connection 6, attached to a counterbalancing device7, consisting inthe present instance of a weight. The flexibleconnection may consist of a chain, as shown in Fig. 2, extending fromthelower end of the rod to the weight, or the weight 8 (shown in Fig. 3)may be provided with a rigid Vextension 9, flexibly connected, as by asnap-hook 10 or its equivalent, to the lower end of the rod. The roundedlower extremity of the rod is adapted to rock freely in the seat, andinasmuch as the counterbalancing-weight allows it to yield it is adaptedto be swung in either direction through an arc of one hundred and eightydegreesto occupy a position parallel and in contact with the pavement,as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2. Thus when encountered by a movingobject the rod is adapted to yield freely and afford no obstruction andavoid injury to predestrians and moving objects coming in contacttherewith.

When strained longitudinally, as by an effort upon the part of a hitchedanimal to escape, the weight may be elevated into contact with the underside of the object, such as a plate or ear 1l, in which the socket 4 isformed, thus arranging the strain directly in line with the rod, and byavoiding transverse strain enabling the same to be constructed of smallcross-sectional area: In other words, by using a post which isyieldingly held in its upright position, and hence is adapted to arrangeitself directly in the line of any strain applied thereto, arod ofcomparatively slight construction will be found to possess the necessarystrength to resist any strain which may be applied thereto in practice,the resistance of the rod to tensile strain. being greater than that toa transverse strain.

The socket plate or ear ll is preferably of met-al bolted, as at l2, tothe curbstone 13, with its upper surface flush with that o f thecorresponding surface of the curbstone, and hence of the pavement, saidplate being hollowed or cut away at its upper and lower sides concentricwith the opening 5 to reduce the weight thereof without materiallydiminishing the strength, the upper cut-away portion forming the socket4,in which the rounded and enlarged lower extremity of the rod isfitted. In order to allow detachment of the hitching-rod from thesocket-plate, the upper end of the connection 6 is preferably providedwith a snap-hook 14 to engage a staple in the lower end of the rod, asshown in Fig. 2.

While in the above description l have set forth a preferred manner ofmounting and arranging the socket plate or ear with relation to thesidewalk, it will be understood IOO that I do not limit myself to saidarrangement, inasmuch as it may be let. into the curbstone or sidewalkor otherwise arranged in a fixed position without defeating the objectof the invention, and that various other changes in the form,proportion, and the minor details of construction may be resorted toWithout departing from theuspirit or sacriticin g any of the advantagesof Ithis invention.

claim is l. A hitching device having an inflexibler strain, and yieldingmeans flexibly connected with 'the lower end of the rod to allow thetemporary unseating of the rod when subjected to a longitudinal strainand to reseat the same when relieved of strain, whereby the rod isadapted to aline with any strain applied thereto, substantially asspecified.

2. A hitching device having a socket or seat, a rod provided with arounded lower extremity iitted to rock in the socket or seat, and meansflexibly connected to the rod for yieldingly holding the same in anupright position, substantially as specified.

3. A hitching device having a seat, a rod removably iitted at its lowerend to rock in the seat, yielding lneans for normally holding the rodseated in an upright position, and

a flexible connection between said yielding means and the lowerextremity of the rod, said connection extending through an opening inthe floor of the seat, substantially as specified.

4. A hitching device having a seat, a rod fitted at its lower end .inthe seat, yielding means7 as a weight, arranged below the plane of theseat, and a iexible connection, as a Having described my invention, whatI` chain, connecting the weight with the lower `extremity of the rod andextending through an opening in the floor of the seat, substantially asspecified.

5. In a hitching device, the combination of a socket plate or earprovided with means for attachment to a fixed object and having in itsupper side a seat and a communicating opening, a rod provided with arounded lower extremity Iitted in said seat, and counterbalancing means,as a weight, flexibly connected through said opening with the lowerextremity of the rod, substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto a'liixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN MUSPRATT.

Vitnesses:

WILLIAM H. BONNEY, THOMAS H. SoULE.

